The 27 Year Old Musician Jinx

I remember reading a list of about 15 musicians who had their careers cut short by death. There was a brief biography of each which amongst other things listed the age of their deaths. Half of them died at the age of 27. This was the first I heard about the 27 year old jinx.

The big 5 of this group are Brian Jones (the Rolling Stones), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain. Although the most famous of these musicians are the rock ones, there are blues musicians on this list too. To see a more complete list, check this Wikipedia article entitled the 27 Club.

So what are we to learn from this? If you’re a 27 year old musician, stay clear of swimming pools, mixing wine with sleeping pills, hard drugs, things that could cause heart failure, shotguns, strychnine, etc., etc. Actually if we go too long and far into the Wikipedia list, it gets to the point where you should just say 27 year old musicians should just avoid life. Which in itself might be a danger to 27 year old musicians.

But I have a solution for some of us. What if we were to have a music making forum where only those over 28 years of age could apply? Maybe we could start it off as one of those music talent shows, with a record production division. Maybe then it could grow to take over other rock and blues venues.

But I sense that Junior would object. “Why are all these grandmas and grandpas making music now? I want to see someone my own age.”

But Junior doesn’t know that he’s condemning some of his rock star heroes to death when they are 27. Maybe when the first one dies, he’ll come over to the old side.